5/10/2017 10 Tips to Prevent Neck Pain

10 Tips to Prevent Neck Pain

By Steven G. Yeomans, DC | 05/11/2016
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It’s probably safe to say that most of us at some point in time have woken up with neck pain or can recall an event or
injury that resulted in neck pain. In fact, at any given time, 13% of American adults (women more than men) su�er from
neck pain.

Neck pain usually arises from muscles, tendons, and ligaments—commonly referred to as the soft tissues—in and
around the cervical spine (the neck).

 See Neck Strain: Causes and Remedies

Neck pain is most commonly caused by injuries and sprains to the soft tissue.
Watch: Neck Strains and Sprains Video 

Muscle strain and resulting muscle spasm is often caused by an underlying neck problem, such as spinal stenosis,
arthritis, or disc degeneration and can be triggered from trauma but frequently occurs insidiously, or for no obvious or
identi��able reason.

 See When Is a Sti� Neck Serious?

Whether your neck pain is from a chronic condition or if you've just woken up with a sti� neck, the following tips should
help you experience less pain.

 Read more: Chronic Neck Pain: What Condition Is Causing My Neck Pain?

Article continues below

Follow these 10 tips to protect your neck from injury:

1. Try a new pillow.
In terms of comfort and support for your neck while you sleep, there are many options and you may need some
trial and error to ��nd what works best for you. As a general rule, it is best to use a pillow that keeps your cervical
spine in neutral alignment—meaning, the natural curve of your neck is supported and maintained.

 See Pillows for Neck Pain

There are a number of options, and what works best for you will largely be determined on the cause of your neck
problem as well as your sleep preferences. Here are a few examples:

Some people ��nd that their neck pain decreases when they lie down on their back with the head supported
by a relatively �at pillow, or with an orthopedic pillow that has a deeper depression where the head lies and
extra support under the neck.
Other people ��nd that support with a pillow when side-lying is more comfortable.
Some prefer sitting in a recliner, or in an adjustable bed with the upper part of the body at an incline. In this
reclining position, they can use a small or relatively �at pillow.

If you're like most people, you change your sleep position during the night, so be sure to have a pillow—or more
than one pillow—that works for each of your sleep positions.

 Read more about pillows: Di�erent Types of Pillows

2. Sleep on your back if you can.

In general, sleeping on your back is the best position to let your entire spine rest comfortably. Some people with
neck problems ��nd it helps to sleep on their back and place a pillow under each arm, with the idea that supporting
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5/10/2017 10 Tips to Prevent Neck Pain
neck problems ��nd it helps to sleep on their back and place a pillow under each arm, with the idea that supporting
each arm takes strain o� the neck.

Some people with spinal arthritis or stenosis may ��nd that sleeping at a slight incline is easier, so they add a foam
wedge pillow to their bed and/or switch to an adjustable bed.

 See Considerations Before Buying an Adjustable Bed

If you prefer to sleep on your side, make sure your pillow is not too high—usually around 4 to 6 inches thick,
depending on the density of the pillow material and the distance between the neck and point of the shoulder. This
height should typically prevent your head and neck from turning or bending unnaturally to either side.

The bottom line is if it’s not comfortable, it’s not a good “��t”!

 Learn more about sleeping positions: Best Pillows for Di�erent Sleeping Positions

Neck pain could be caused by a cervical herniated disc.

To learn more, watch: Cervical Herniated Disc Video 

3. Make sure your computer monitor is at eye level.

Sit comfortably in front of your computer and close your eyes. When you open them, your gaze should be directly
in the middle of your computer screen. If you ��nd you have to look down, you need to prop up your monitor so
that it is higher.

Laptops most often require you to angle your head downward to see the screen, so connecting your laptop to a
separate monitor, or screen, is often very helpful.

For further reading on o㕙�ce ergonomics, see:

Workplace Ergonomics and Neck Pain

O㕙�ce Chair Advice

4. Avoid neck strain from texting.

Texting or looking down at your cell phone or mobile device for any length of time puts excessive strain on your
neck.

 See How to Avoid Neck Pain from Texting

Over time, the added stress on the joints, ligaments, and discs in your neck can lead to premature degenerative
changes in your neck. Tips to avoid neck damage from texting include raising the phone or mobile device to eye
level, minimizing texting time, resting your hands and device on a pillow, and taking frequent breaks.

 Watch: Text Neck Treatment Video

5. Use a headset.
If you spend a lot of time on the phone, be sure to avoid tilting your head to the side or cradling your phone in the
crook of your neck.

Any type of hands-free device, such as a headset or ear piece, is a great way to talk on the phone without being
tempted to hold your phone incorrectly. There is also a newer device that lays around your neck so you can keep it
on all day—one brand name is the LG Tone.

 See Identifying Incorrect Posture

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6. Exercise and stretch your neck.

Keep your neck muscles strong by doing short sets of strengthening and stretching exercises throughout the day.
One of the simplest exercises to do is the chin tuck exercise

 Watch Video: 4 Little-Known Natural Pain Relievers

This exercise helps strengthen the muscles that pull the head into alignment over the shoulders. It also stretches
the scalene and suboccipital muscles.

For a full description of how to do this exercise and others, see:

Neck Strengthening Exercises

Neck Exercises for Neck Pain

7. Stay well hydrated.

Yet another reason to drink lots of water during the day is to nourish and hydrate the discs—the spongy structures
that lie between the vertebrae in your neck. These discs are made up of mostly water, so staying well hydrated will
help keep your discs pliable and strong.

 See Spinal Discs

Ideally, try to drink at least 8 large glasses of water a day. Try a few options and see what works best for you:

Keep a water bottle with you and sip throughout the day
Set an alarm on your watch or cell phone for every 2 hours and chug a glass of water every time it goes o�
Drink 2 to 3 large glasses of water with each meal

 See Lifestyle and Diet Tips for Healthy Bones

Cervical discs are susceptible to degeneration over time due to loss of hydration.
Learn more: Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease

8. Carry weight evenly.

A common mistake people make is carrying a heavy purse or briefcase on one side of their body. This uneven load
can cause your shoulders to become uneven, straining your neck muscles.

First, try to lighten your load by taking only your essentials in your purse or briefcase, and make an e�ort to keep
your shoulders level at all times when you carry it. Consider using a backpack that distributes weight evenly across
both of your shoulders.

 See Avoid Back Injury with the Right Lifting Techniques

9. Maintain supportive posture.

Poor posture can cause neck pain by straining muscles and ligaments that support the neck, resulting in injury
over time.

The head-and-shoulders-forward posture is the most common example of poor posture that contributes to neck
pain. This occurs when the neck slants forward, placing the head in front of the shoulders.

For every inch the head shifts forwards, an extra 10 pounds is added to the muscles in the upper back and neck. A
5-inch forward shift results in 50 extra pounds of force. Remember, keep your chin tucked inward to avoid this.

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This posture causes the upper back to slump forward as well, placing a strain on the entire spine.

 See How Poor Posture Causes Neck Pain

10. Relieve trigger-point pain.

Irritation to the facet joints of the lower cervical vertebrae in your neck can result in muscle trigger point pains.
Trigger points are small knots in the muscle or fascia—which is a layer of tissue under your skin and around the
muscle—that can lead to pain.

There are certain massages you can do yourself to work these trigger points and lessen the pain. See Trigger Point
Exercises for Neck Pain for a description of these exercises.

 See Massage Therapy

Bonus tip: Put your phone away.

Most of us don't realize how much time we spend looking down at our phone with our head and neck in a �exed
forward position. This bent-forward position puts a great deal of added stress on bones, joints, and ligaments in your
neck that simply weren't designed for it.

Putting your phone away, or holding it in a way that keeps your neck aligned on top of your shoulders, is one of the
simplest and best changes you can make to help your neck.

We hope the above tips will help you in your e�orts to reduce and prevent neck pain.

Learn more:
 Types of Neck Pain

 Treatment for Neck Pain

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